Improvement in knitting-machines



W. H. Mo N ARY. KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented May 15, 1850.

No.v 28,290.

751127125 r: MW@

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM Il. MCNARY, OF BROOKLYN, NEY YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specincation. forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,290, lated May 15, 1860.

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM ll. MCNARY, oi the city ot' Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting Machinery; andi do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theV accompanying drawings, forming part ot this specification, in which- Figure l is a .plan of a knitting-machine with myimprovcments. Fig is an inverted plany off the same with the legs of the framing in section. Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section of the same. Fig-.et is a front view of sonic parts of the same. Figs. 5 and 5* are partial transverse sections taken in different planes to Fig. 3. Figs. (i, 7, and 8 are views of some of the details of themachiue.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Theprincipal object ot my invention is to limit a stocking complete, with a properlyshapcd heel and toe, bythe continuous operation of a knitting-machine without any stoppage to adjust the work in the machine, and to manufacture by knitting any other articles, parts of which may be knitted of circular or tubular torm and other parts Without forming a complete circle or tube, by an un- ,l

interrupted operation; and my invention consists in mechanism employed, in connection t with arotating series of needles, to constitute a machine to eil'ect this result.

lt also consists in certain improved modes ot operating tire .stitch-hooks, presses, and

tliiead-giiides, which are applicable as well to circular knitting machines in 'which the above-mentioned results are not sought to be obtained.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is theframing of themachineconsisting of ahorizon-tal plate supported on suitable legs, feet, or standards.

B is the horizontal ring, in which the needies c a are secured, fitted tightly, shown 'in Fig. 3, and secured by spring-catches b, as sliownjn Fig. i, to a ring B, winch is fitted to revolve freely within a circular openingin the framing A. The ringr l is formed Awith a flange to rest upon the framing, and iscon- .finedin its place by means of a ring B2, of

larger external diameter, which is screwed to it underneath the framing. The needles I employ are of the well-known kinnd represented ink Figs. 3 and 4 of the diawingsthat is to say, having slightlycurved Shanks with short grooved or concave-faced hooks without beards-and are secured rigidly to the ring B.Y

intermittent or step-by-step rotary move-4 ment of the gear C, which transmits such motion to the compound needle-ring B B B2, leaving the needles stationary during much the greater portion of the time occupied'in producing t ie stitches, that the yarn-guides c c, pressers d (l, and stitch-hooks e e. may eifcct their operation in a proper manner, as will be hereinafter described.

The wheel D has formed upon its circumference t-Wo threads f f of a width and depth to tit the spaces between the teeth of the spurgear C, such threads running about five-sixths oi the way 'round the ci rcumterence in planes parallel with its planes of revolution, and the remaining sixth of the circumference being cutaway to receive a movable piece or switch D', (see Figs. 1 and 5,) on which is formed a thread f which is capable of forming a connection in either direction oblique to the plane of revolution between one and the other of the-two threads ff, the said movable piece being fitted to turn on a pivot g to permit the direction of its Obliquity to be reversed. The gear C remains stationary,.while the threads f f are passing between its teeth-viz., during about live-sixths of the revolution of the main shaft E-'-and iscaused to turn while the threadj" is passing, during about onesixth ofthe revolution of the main shaft E.v

The movement thus given to the wheel D is sufficient to cause the needlefring` to turn far enoughior the needles to move a distance equal to the width of one stitch, and the movement of the needle-ring is caused to be in one orthe other direction, according as theswitch D is set. with its thread f' running in one direction or theV other, the said switch thus i enabling the needles to` be caused to revolve in one direction'continuonsly for any lengthy,

2 p esteso of time; that it may remain stationar 1, as

While the shaftlis out of gear with the main shaft, for' example, for the purpose of knitting circular work, as the legs or feet of hosiery, or to make part of a revolution in one direction and part of al revolution in the other alternately when it is required to knit only a part of the way round the circle, as in makpitt/L', ruiming through the'wheel D in a direction parallel with the sliaft and one of two stop-pieces j 7", attached to the switch itself. The stop-pieces j j prevent the switch moving in either direction farther than is necessary to change the operative position of the thread f', and bybringing the button h or h on the opposite side of the wheel to the stop j or j that may be in contact with the vwheel to bear against the switch the latter is locked.

In Fig. 1 the switch is represented as locked by the stop j and button 71.', and Figs. 5 and 6 represent a corresponding position.

The construction and arrangement of the Fig. 6 exhibiting a section of the wheel D and Fig. 7 a perspective view of the buttons and 1 their connecting-pin t' detached. vThe buttons are arranged at rightv angles to each other and are beveled, as shown at 11 in Figs. '1, 6, and'7, on the sides next' the wheel, so that they serve as cams to effect the shifting of the switch from one to the other of its two operative positions, aquarter-revolution lof the pinI i serving to move one button out of A the way to unlock the switch to make one of the beveled parts'll of the other button act upon one of the, curved projections 12 on the other or corresponding' side of the switch to shift the switch and to bring the latter button into a posit-ion to lock the switch after it has been shifted. The movement of the buttons'to unlock, shift, and relock the switch is effected by whichever one is free of the switch coming in contact with one prong of a short forked lever G, which is secured to an upright fulcrum-pin k, fitted to turn in a b earing in the framing.v The buttons are locked in position to lock the switch by means of a small spring-dog l, which is attached to one side ofthe wheelD and lwhich enters one of four notches 13 in the button h. This dog is made with a taper tooth, so. that it slips out of the notches easily when force is applied to turn the button, though it holds the r.button securely enough when no force is applied to turn it.

The forked lever (i above dcscribedhas the movement by which it is made to present one or other of its prongs into an operative position-to effect the shifting of the switch. prod lce'd by means of along horizontal. cylinder HX having a number of studs en its circumference fittedy toa horizontal shaft I in such a manner as t-o be compelled to turn with it, but to be capable of sliding longitudinally This shaft is made-hollow throughupon it. K out or for a portion of its length, to receive the stem J ofa screw J, which is arranged in 'line with the said shaft and'which fits a female screwthread provided in the center of one end of the cylinder. The end of the said shaft I farthestfrom the screw J is made with a journal to tit a bearing m on the top of the framing, andthe head 'of the screw J is fitted to a similar bearingm, in which it is capable of turning freely, but` confined longitudinally. 'lhe'one-bcaring m for the shaft is suicient to keep it steady, as the stem of the screw enters it far enough to prevent its getting out of line, and the cylinder, being always partly on the Screw and partlyon the shaft, tends to keep them in line.- The screw is provided with a crank J 2, which serves either to turn it,by hand to cause the cylinder to move along the shaft while the latter is stationary or to enter a notch in a locking-spring J 3, at` 'taehed to the framing for the purpose' of holding the screw stationary, that the cylinder may be caused to move longitudinally on the A .shaft by the rotation of the latter.

buttons is exhibited in Figs. 1, 5, 6, and 7,

In'knitting partly round the circle, as in .making the heels and toes of hosiery, the cylinder is caused bothto rotate slowly with its shaft land to move longitudinally upon it, and by these movements its studs n.- or, which are properly arranged for the purpose, are'caused to operate first upon one and then upon the other side of the rear arm vof the forked lever G in such manner as to shift the said lever as often as is necessary -to reverse the movement of the needle-viz., that its prongs may be alternately brought in't'o position for the buttons h h. to strike them toshift the switch D', the said v buttons being operated upon each in its turn one by'one and the other by the other prong of the said lever.-

`Duringthis part of theoperation the cylindershaft I isgeared with the main shaft by means :of a small spur-gear o on the latter shaft, a 'larger spur-gear p on the cylinder-shaft, and .two gears q and r on an intermediate shaft K. The spur-gear p h as a spring-pawl p applied to prevent its turning' thewrongway.

In knitting the eircularportion of the/work, as the legsand fectoof hosiery, the lever G andvcylinder'll remain stationary, the shaft I being out of gear with the main shaft, the

position offthe cylinder during this part of the operation being: close up to the head of the screw J. I

The gearing and ungoaring of Athe cylindershaft I are effected by a longitudinal movement of thc intermediate shaft l( in its bearings (l 1]', which throws the gear q in or out ol' gear with o, and theshal't l( is locked either in or out of gear by means of a spring-stop s applied to act upon one side `or the other of a 'V-shaped collars on the shaft. ',lho form oft this collar enables it to p ushaside the stop segno 3 when considerable pressure is applied in a longitudinal direction, and hence, though it preventsthc shaft being thrown accidentally in or out of gear, allows it to be, thrown in or out when desired. The movement of the lever G produced by the studs'n n of the cylinder H is assisted by the action of a spring P, secured to the bottom of the horizontal portion of the framing upon an arm G', attached to the lower part of the fulcrum-pin, the said spring having an angular bend, as shown at let in Fig. 2, and the said arm G' carrying a. pin l5, against which thespring bears to press the arm in one direction or the other, according to which side or the angle 14 presses against it. Vv'hen one of the studs of the cylinder'l-I comes into action on the lever G, it

`gives it a sufiicie'nt portion of the necessary movement to carry the pin past the angle, and

the spring completes the movement. The

spring is prevented throwing the lever too far by means of a curb G2, against one or other side of which the arm G' is stopped in one of its operative positions.

The length of the' circular portion of the work-such as the leg or foot of a stoeking-- cisely like the threads f f f on the wheel' D, except that the oblique thread vt', which moves `the regulating-wheel one tooth during every complete revolution of the needlering is not movable, as the said wheel only requires to move in one direction. L' has securely attached to it at theback of the wheel L two arms M M', and in front ofthe wheel an arm M2, through which and through one of a number of holes uu in the wheel equal to the number of teeth,a pin u' isinserted for the purpose of securing thearms M M' in a fixed position relativelyto the wheel. The needle-ring. is so arranged in its. bearing that the oblique threadt" never comes into the wheel L in knitting partly round the c ir cle, and hence the wheel L is stationary dur-V ing that time, but is movedtooth by tooth' in'knitting round thev circle. The arms M M' M2 are so adjustedA before the starting ofthe' machine that by the time the leg of a stocking is complete-supposing the stocking to b e commenced atthe top-the arm M will come in contact with the bent elastic arinof a horizontal leverN ,which works on a fulerum-pin u under the horizon-tal portion of the framing and force the said arm upward high enough to be struck by apin w, Figs. 2,3, and 4, that projects from the bottom of the ring B, and

so moved in sueh a direetionand to such a distance that the other' arm of the said lever,

which is forked and embraces the shaft K in The stud rect-ion of the arrow shown upon it in Fig. 2.

to bring it in geanan'd thus cause the shaft l to be set in motion and the cylinder II to commence its rotary and longitudinal motion for the purpose of shifting the forked lever G as often as is necessary to reversethe motion of the needle-ring to knit the heel of the stocking. The distance between the arms M and M should be such that after cylinder-shaft I has been-thrown out of gear again and the complete rotary movement of the needle-ring again proceeded with the arm h will oper ate in a similar manner to M, as above described, when the complete eircular'knitting has beenproceeded with far enough to make the footof the stocking forthe purpose of starting the cylinder I again to commence the knitting of the toe. In the machine represented the arms M M' `are rigidly, connected 'with each other; but asthis does not allow thelength of the footto be variedit is preferable to have the said arms separate, and to provide each with a separate arm like M2 to secure it to the wheelLat such distance from the other as may be required according tothe desired length of the foot. Y

The throwing of .the shaft K out of gear when the knitting of the heel is completed is effected by means of a lever Q, Figs. l, 2, and 5, which is fittedto the said shaft between two collars 1 6 16v in such manner as to be capable of working with a vertically-roeking motion upon the said shaft as its fulcrnm. The rear end of this lever is fitted to slide up and down on a fixed upright stud y, that is lsecured tothe bo'ttmof the back part of the horizontal portionof the framing, said stud constituting a fulcrum on-whieh the said lever is capable of swinginghorizontally.Y The front end of the said lever is provided witha laterally-beveled:upward projection Q', (see Fig. 5,) which stands up below the main shaft E of the machine. Behind the shaft K and directly under the shaft of the cylinder H the said` lever is furnishedwith an upward' jection Q' to-be acted uponv by the side of one of the two cranks ze, that are provided on the main shaft E for the purpose of operating the stitch-hooks. lhis crank, by `its Cain-like action on one side of the laterallybeveled projection Q', gives the lever ahorizontal movement sufficient to move the shaft K in thc reverse direction to the arrow marked on it in Fig. 2 far enough to. throw it out of gear and stop the operation of thecylindar which remains stationarvdm-ingthe knitting -the knitting of the toe.

'1.7, with a long rod R, which works through a guide 18 attached to the framing and which has a spring R2 applied t0 itin such a mannerv as to exert a constant tendency to move the pulley along the shaft in theodirection of the arrow shown upon. itin Fig. 2, and so as to disen gage it from the shaft by .movin g the portion 1.9 (see Figs. l and 2) of the clutchwhich is secured to the .pulley out ot the way of the portion 2O,whici1 is secured to the shaft; but this actionof the springis prevented and the' pulley kept in gear as' ,lon g as necessary by means of a stationary pin 21,' (see Fig. 2,) placed in top of the interior of the guide 1 8 to engage in a hole suitably arranged in the rod R.

The guide 18 is deep enough to -permit the rod R to have a sufficient downward move-v ment to liberate it from the pin 21, and as the toe of the stocking is completed one of the Y pins Non the cylinder Il strikes a projecion Rien the top of the said r'od and deresses it vsufficiently to edect 'the abovenamed liberation and leave it under the conf trol of the spring R2, which at'once effects the disengagementef the pulley-bya movement of- .the said rod in the direction of the arrow shown upon it in Fig. 2. 1

Having now described fully the mechanism for effecting the operation of the rotary series 'of needles, I will proceed to describe that k bywhieh. the stitchhooks e e, yarn-guides c c,

and pressers d (l are operated.

S is the stitch-hook bar represented in Figs. `1 and Band vseparately in perspective in Fig. 5%, havingone or more arms S' S', according to the numberof stitch-hooks empl0yed,each arm having the stem 'of one lstitch-hook secured in it by a set-screw, and the -bar having a journal-box 22 at each end and at one end a long straight slotted arm S2. The jourrial-.boxes 22 22 receive .the wrist-pins of. the

cranks ze of the horizontal main shaft,.and

the slt .Qf the .arm S2 receives a "square block 23, whichfis'bored to receive a stationary pin f 24, which is supported in a position parallel with the'main shaft, but atsome distance therefrom, by a standard T. As the cranks z. z revolve, the movement `of the stitch-hook bar produced by such revolution is so directed vby the working ofthe straight slot inthe arm S- on the block23 an d pin' 24 as to make the stitchhooks take the loops from the lower parts of the needles and carry them up over the' hooks thereof. As the stitch-hooks descendafter ifarrying the loops over the needles, theyhaveto pass down between theneedleaandhence Thi-s pulley is 'connected by a.

' number Y strengthening-piecedf. The presser-bar is ar- )they require a lateral movement as well as the movement above described. This lateral movement is produced by means of two face- A cams e z', which are formed on the cranks around the wrist-pins, one on each crank, said cams acting against thetwo ends of the stitchhook bar S. The above-described movements -of the stitch-hookbar are the same as arel commonly given to the stitch-hook. bar of knitting-machines which use a rotating or traversing series of needles from which the loops are taken oft by hooks; but the abovedescribed meansl lof obtaining such movements are far more simple than those heretofore used for the purpose.

' U is the bar which carries the yarn-guides by which the yarn .is laid roundthe needles to form the loops, said yarn-guides correspending in number with the stitch-hooks.

This bar U is attached by two arms u u' to v arock-shaft U2, which works in bearings 2,5

.25 below ther main shaft E, anditderives a simple swinging motion to carry the yarnguides back and forth between' the needles forthe purpose of laying the yarn round them from the action of -a groove 26, Fig. 3, in the face of a cam V on the main shaft nponan arm Uf, that is fast on the said rockshaft. The yarn-guides require to be shifted laterally every time. the direction of the revolution'oiv the needles is changed to make them` always lay the yarn on the proper side of the needles'.` produced by the'ca'm-like action of the switch D .of the...wheel D in a fork U4, attached firmly to the rock-shaft U2, that side of the switch'which projects laterally from the wheel always, the first timethe switch in its revolution passes between the prongs of the said fork. after the switch has been shifted, pushing the fork in one direction or the other,

and thereby moving the rock-shaft longi'tudinally-in its bearings. I The rock-shaftis prevented from being accidentally moved longitudinally from either of its operative positions by means of aspring-stop 27, applied to bear upon one side or the other of a V-shaped projection `28 enthe rock-shaft and hold the rock-shaft against the inner side of one or otherfof its 'bearings 25. This stop, however, allows the shaft to move endwise when considerable force is applied, as by the abovedescribed 'action of the switch in the fork.

W is the presser-bar carrying the pressers d; d, of which there is one more than the ol:` stitch-hooks, connected by a `dies to press the work toits place thereon,

raise them Aup again a little way while the loops are being taken from the needles'by the ,stitch-hooks, vcarry them down again to press j the work back to its place on the needles,and

This lateral movement is i eration of knitting a stocking therein.

erated 'upon Vby the said pinto throw the ltion R8 of th'e rod R and' disengages the said .thrown in gear and thearms M M: beingujlgdhl` justed th. machine is in condition to cemq e lift them up fromvbetween the needles, for the latter to pass them, is obtained.

I have now described the operation of the several parts of the machine represented in the drawings and will vbrieiiy explain the op- The cylinder H having been run back to the head of the screw .l and the said screw secured `by the spring J?, and the arms M M having been properly adjusted on the regulatingf wheel L for the length of theleg and foot and the yarn conducted throughthe guides d d, the shaft K` is placed outof gear andthe pnl-- ley E in gear with the main shaft E, and the v noeedlemat once commence to `revolve con-z 'v tmuously and bythe operation of the yarn-,f

guides, stitch-hooks, and pressers, incoxnbi-l nation 'with them, the knitting of the leg from.l the top downward in`complete circular formIk is proceeded with and continues fill the Y proper length of leg is produced, when, the .before-describedaction of the armfM, the leverl N is sprung up into the path of the pin w on the needle-ring and so caused to be 'opshaft K into gear and start the cylinder H, whose pinsnow commence tooperate on thef forked lever 'G to shift the switch D atproper intervals to cause the needles -to traverse back and forth to produce the heel without 4any stoppage ofthe machine. When the long' pin n, before spokenoi, strikes the projeetion Q2 cn the lever Q, the front end of the said'v lever is raised till the sideof the crank acts. upon the,projection.Q,V of the said lever and ,so throws the shaft K out of gear and causes the operation cf lthe-cylinder H to cease and? the knitting to proceedall round the needles again andto continuetilla snicient length is knitted for the foot, when vthe arm M of the regulating-wheel L comes into' operation lon the lever N andl springs it up for the pin w to act upon it to throw the-shaft K into gearagain and start the cylinder H to repeatthe back ward and forward traverse motionof Vthee needles. The cylinder H nowcontinues-fin 'operation till the tee is completed, when the proper pin rn'comes into action on Athe projec.

rod frornthe pin 2l and allows the springlt2` to act upon Vit to throw the pulley Eront of gear and stop themachine'. The stocking is n ow taken from the machine and onlyrequires the toe to .be closed up to make it complete.

'.lhe'screw J is now to be unlocked. by drawing the spring J 3 outof the wayof the crank J 2 and the screw turned by hand to runback the cylinder H` to its head, and on the shaft'K being thrown out of 'gear andthe pulley/.E

mence. a new stocking.

Instead of commencing the stockingifat the' top of the leg, it may by'a proper adjhstlne'nt of the .arms M M be commenced -attlje-:toe and nished at the leg.

ganized, as above described, for knitting a stocking throughontby a continuous aut-ostantially. as detailed by the following separate claims, numbered from `1- to:

l'. The threaded wheel D, with its movable. switch D ,applied substantially as described,'in combination with the needle-ring or-other .eqiivalent'device carrying the needles togproduce thej'rotary or traverse move- -may .be necessary. A

...the movable {switch-,wheel by means. of 'a 4`iirllredlever G and revolving buttonsh h or their-"equivalents, and operating, Substan- -tially as described, for the purpose vof shift# ing the switch as often as is desired to Areverse the rotary. or traverse lmovement of theneedles;l i

iEiflhe :regulating-wheel` withits adjusts.

.fable arms MM', applied. and operating subl,'stantially as described, in combination .with` withthemain shaft' for thepurpose of regu# portions of .theywork Gombiningthejst'udded cylinder H with c-the' disengaging apparatus by'lwhichitis made 'tf throw itself 'ont et. gear with Vthe main .shaft when knitting'all round the whole series of the needles is required to be'resu'med after knitting round a4 portion of the series only.

.the main vshaftwcr lother rotary shaft of 4the knitting-'machine byineans of one or more cranks z a and!V controlling the movement produced bysuchV crank or cranks by means of a slottedfar-mlSz, working ona fixed guideproduce the movement of the stitch-hookstc' `take'oirthe loops from the needles- 6I "Giving the stitch-hook bar the necessary 4vlateral' movement to complete the throwing oi ofthe loops from the needlesand to en- "able them tol-'pass the needles asthey descend to t-ake'another'loop'by means of the i cams zge'f at the sides of the wrists of its vdriving-cranks,"substantially as herein described-.1y ,l e

' 7. Combining therock-.Shfty which carries the.threadguidesvith -the switch-wheel D 'by meansof- 4Va fork Uorits equivalent, substantiallyas and for. the purposeheren de- .Stribed'.A f 4 WM. H. MCNARY.A Witnesses;l

ShH. NVALES,

. CHAS. CRUX.

What-I claim as my invention, and desire to i .secure by Letters Patent, is the machine ormaticoperation, .composed of elements 'submenteythe'needles inei-ther direction," as

212. 4The-I:renieliving' and longitudinally-stud: .dedfcyli'nd'e'r H, applied and combinedwth 'the needle-ringfiand-with suitable apparatus 1 for throwing the studded cylinder into ',g'ealj `"5lCombining the stitclifhook bar S2 with;

pin'24, substantially as herein described, to 

